Crawlers // The Mess We Seem To Make // Out Friday 16th February 2024
Crawlers are a Merseyside band on an exponential rise: pre-pandemic, they had a reasonable following in the alternative scene, but the last few years has seen the band hit some monumental heights. A viral TikTok smash followed, as did a huge support slot with emo-heroes My Chemical Romance, as well as a selection of packed-out tents at festivals up and down the country.
Finally, the debut album is here, and The Mess We Seem To Make is one hell of an opening statement from Crawlers. From the off with The Mess, their sonic growth is at the forefront: it’s loud, brash and wrought but Crawlers are refined somewhat here, a little more polished, and seemingly ready for the biggest stages.
The record is full of fantastic moments: there is fabulous glam-rock swagger on ‘Hit It Again’, and pure hairmetal bangers like ‘Would You Come To My Funeral’.
Aside from the band’s clear rock pedigree and undeniable sound, vocalist Holly Minto is centre stage for a lot of these tunes. Her tones are quite wonderful, and she sings with such guttural emotion at times, which more often than not goes hand in hand with Crawlers’ sound to create these gargantuan tracks which shake the plasterboard loose in whatever room you chose to listen.
Minto’s vocals take centre stage in ‘Golden Bridge’, a softer cut which is almost jazz like in composition, but also provides a great spotlight on Minto’s gutwrenching and heartbreaking lyrics. She delivers with the subtle whisper of When We All Fall Asleep (Billie Eilish), as well as some gorgeous soaring moments: this cut is really quite something, and the variety of tone and pace displayed here speaks to the clear quality of this band.
From ‘Meaningless Sex’ through to closer ‘Nighttime Affair’, Crawlers strech their rock muscles throughout this record. They’re brash and on the front foot at times, whilst soft and sensitive at others. The final number is a real standout, it’s cinematic and romantic and contains a fabulous chord change.
Write this band off as a TikTok hype group at your peril, Crawlers are the real deal.
8/10
Words: Charlie Brock
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